Review: The Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas

The Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas by Étienne Gilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Gilson offers an insightful, relevant, and engaging introduction to the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. He does an excellent job of presenting it in a systematic form, a feat that Aquinas himself was, unfortunately, never able to accomplish, that allows the reader to understand, appreciate, and evaluate. Gilson also does an excellent job of relating the material to the reader, no matter how fine or difficult the points sometimes may be. Finally, Gilson demonstrates, against Aquinas's detractors, that Aquinas's philosophy is one that is vitally and essentially Christian and a development of earlier Christian thought such as in the works of Ss. Dionysius the Areopagite and John of Damacus, and not a departure in favor of pagan or Islamic Aristotelianism. I recommend this book to anyone interested in philosophy, especially Medieval and Christian philosophy, and anyone interested in the development of Christian thought.



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